Hope you can join us! This month's Unblurred expands and features the Geek Arts and Green Innovators Festival. More information available at www.pennavenuearts.org or gagifestival.blogspot.com. Unblurred:Friday, April 2, 2010 ALL NIGHT | LOOK FOR INFO UP AND DOWN PENN AVE. ONE CLICK…THAT QUICK! Watch for signs that instruct you on how to upload photos from your camera phone into our GA/GI slideshow. Then see your photos later at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Our Live! Laugh! Upload! System was designed expressly for GA/GI by sponsors DeepLocal. Email photos to gagi@gumband.com 1PM-10PM | TWEEK - 4913 PENN AVE. ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS GET 10% OFF ALL ITEMS IN THE STORE! Stop in a check out the new Spring/Summer line, music, food, and beverages available. Make sure to check out our website with our added skateboarding and BMX products. www.TweekHub.com 4PM-10PM | VOLUTO COFFEE - 5467 PENN AVE. COFFEE AND CREATIVITY. Stop by Voluto to eat and drink local while enjoying the art of Randie Snow. Randie creates assemblage art, also known as found object or mixed-media sculpture. Randie considers each of these objects like a new friend – a friend that needs a new home, maybe some direction, and a new purpose. www.volutocoffe.com 4PM-11PM | THE CHILDREN’S HOME - 5324 PENN AVE. OUTDOOR SALVAGE ART FLOWER DISPLAY. Come drive, walk, or ride by and see salvage art created by the kids from the Children’s Home located on the fence outside. 4PM-11PM | PVE/NCL STUDIOS - GROSS STREET@PENN AVE. URBAN INTERVENTION: Video projections by Patricia Villalobos Echeverria and Nayda Collazo-Llorens. Also, stop by the townhouse next door for a art display by students from IUP. www.patriciavillalobos.com / www.naydacollazollorens.com 4PM-2AM | ENVY & CHEF J TROPICAL RESTAURANT - 4923 PENN AVE. AFRICAN/CARIBBEAN & VEGETARIAN CUISINE From 4-9pm enjoy our $7.99 dinner buffet special and our $2.50 Happy Hour Drink Specials. Live entertainment beginning at 7pm and at 10pm free food and drink specials at the Unblurred After Party. Free Admission before 10:30. www.chefjtropical.com 5PM-7PM | THE SPROUT FUND - 5423 PENN AVE. GA/GI PROJECT SHOWCASE The Sprout Fund welcomes friends, neighbors, and supporters to a project showcase at its offices at 5423 Penn Avenue, next to EDGE studio and across the street from the Quiet Storm. Discover projects funded by Sprout through the Seed Award and Spark programs that feature Geek Art and Green Innovation. Enjoy light snacks and GIVE Energy drinks. For more info about Sprout: 412.325.0646 or www.sproutfund.org. 5PM-8PM | GROW PITTSBURGH - 5429 PENN AVE. FARMERS MARKET. Get the first starts of the season from Grow Pittsburgh, Garfield Farms, and Turner Dairy Farm at our farmer's market. Plus, brush up on your history – Rick Miller pays a visit as Abe Lincoln.When you've got your purchases, head across the street to the Quiet Storm for a dinner to benefit Grow Pittsburgh and meet The Student Conservation Association! See the Quiet Storm listing for more details. 412.362.4769 5PM-9PM | EVOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHITECHTS - 5429 PENN AVE., 5469 PENN AVE., and 5131 PENN AVE. FAST FORWARD TO THE YEAR 2020…Friendship and Garfield have been named Pittsburgh’s most progressive climate friendly neighborhoods. Penn Avenue is the new “Green Seam” where businesses are flocking to be part of the progressive community. What would be in the now vacant storefronts? EvolveEA will propose ideas that provoke us to think about our neighborhoods’ future. Join us to discuss these ideas. 5PM-8PM | FRIENDS OF THE PITTSBURGH URBAN FOREST - 5427 PENN AVE. GREEN ART DISPLAY CURATED BY JOHN METZLER of Urban Tree Forge, featuring some of Pittsburgh's best urban wood artists! Stop by and learn about all of FPUF's newest programs including tree-tending workshops. 5PM-9PM | BGC ACTIVITY CENTER aka GA/GI’S ECO-TECH INFO CENTER - 113 N. PACIFIC GA/GI HAS TURNED THE BGC ACTIVITY CENTER INTO ITS OWN ECO-TECH INFO CENTER. Several eco friendly and technology businesses and organizations have come together to bring you the newest and coolest green/tech information in Pittsburgh. The Eco-Tech building will feature green groups such as Creative Reuse, Bike Pittsburgh, Urban Tree Forge, Allegheny County Library Association, and new publication EcoCents. Also, checkout tech friendly groups like Global Links, Touchfaster, Pittsburgh Technology Council, meet architect Rob Pfaffmann and match wits with the Pittsburgh Chess Club. Also, be sure to grab a sample from Glaceau Vitamin Water. Not all of the green and tech action will be in the Eco-Tech building; demonstrations will be out on the street of Penn Avenue as well. Keep a look out for the Verizon Fios Tent, CMU ChargeCar and their converted car, University of Pittsburgh CTSI’s Mobile Laboratory, Zip Car, Green Gears and their Pedi Cabs, and David Edwards 12 foot tall Power Flower also, learn to hula hoop with Hula Union. 5PM-10PM | ALL GODS CREATURES - 5121 PENN AVE. MACHINES THAT HOP, FLUTTER, AND LAY EGGS. Stop by All Gods Creatures storefront windows to see one of the creature-like machines created by Ian Ingram. Ian is a Geppettoist who uses tickworks and tockworks to make machines, creatures, and creature-like machines unknown to most of science! 5PM-9PM | THE GLASS LOFTS - 5491 PENN AVE. MORE THAN JUST AN OPEN HOUSE! Friendship Development’s latest and greatest project, The Glass Lofts, will open their doors and offer their walls for great art in a great new space. Some of the artists and exhibitors featured in the Loft’s will be Alberto Almarza, Wes Johansen, Nubapro, Vanessa LaVelle, Audra Azoury, Ian Page, Pittsburgh Society of Sculptors, Jim Fisher, Eric Singer, and Pittsburgh Filmmakers. Not only will the Glass Lofts feature art, but they will also be showcasing an amazing technology demonstration by Carnegie Mellon’s Technology Entertainment Center and a performance by a local blues band. Thinking about buying a loft? Be sure to take a look at the furnished show loft designed by Emphasis Interior Design Services. Visit: www.glassloftspittsburgh.com 5PM-10PM | IRMA FREEMAN CENTER FOR IMAGINATION - 5006 PENN AVE 5:00-6:15pm: FREE workshop at the IF Center! Garbage Sculptures: Understanding Green Technology. Fun for the whole family. Then from 7pm -10pm visit the opening reception for Antiquated & Future (or Imaginary) Technology. Stay and enjoy music sound performance by Michael Johnsen. 5PM-2AM | BRILLOBOX - 4104 PENN AVE. SOFT ROCK HAPPY HOUR. Come start your art-world wanderings listening to the smooth sounds of soft rock. $2 domestic bottle specials, $3 well drinks specials. Then from 10pm –2am come end your art-world wonderings by getting down with the global groove sounds at our Pandemic DJ Dance Party. 5PM-11PM | STUDIO 5013 - 5013 PENN AVE. MIXED MEDIA TERRARIUMS with recycled and natural materials by Sarah Wojdylak. Come enjoy the wonder under glass. 5PM-11PM | SPAK BROTHERS PIZZA - 5107 PENN AVE. SPAK BROTHERS’ URBAN MIX MENU is the best in the 'brugh! Spak is also proud sponsor of the first Geek Art/Green Innovators Bike Tour with Bike Pittsburgh. 5PM-8PM | ARTica - 5110 PENN AVE. HEY, JUDE! ARTica hosts’ fiberartist Jude Vachon and her work, along with a fiberarts presentation by gallery owner, Christine Bethea and mixed media artist Christine Dreqalla. Jude began her collaborative project "What Can We Do About It?" during the 2009 Visionary Arts Festival, basing it on world ecology and economic concerns. Come see how Jude's quilt has grown and voice ideas on GA/ GI. Fest. www.passportsart.blogspot.com 5PM-10PM | FAST>>FWD GALLERY - 3700 PENN AVE. PLENTY OF SLEEP WHEN WE'RE DEAD is a four-person exhibition featuring the latest work of Mike Egan, Josh Iddings, Ron Copeland and Christian Breitkreutz. See how all four artists explore the concept of life, death and the small time we have in between to achieve the goals and desires that each one of us has. Prepare to see a wide range of styles from obsessively pieced together screen-printed collage work to stylized narratives to brilliantly executed "funeral portraits" and see how these artists collectively convey the thoughts you are too frightened to have. fastfwdart@gmail.com 5PM-9PM | CREATIVE FITNESS - 5406 PENN AVE. GROW GREEN, THINK GREEN, BE GREEN! At 6pm come work up a sweat at a Free 20 minute Cardio-Kickboxing Class. Also, come enjoy free training and boxing demonstrations on the hour as well as Body Fat BMI (Body Mass Index) Screenings. After a short workout learn how to Grow Green- a small informational guide on where some of the local farmers markets are, what they sell, and ways that we as a community can support our health. Don’t forget about Thinking Green, learn how to increase your daily activity in the winter months and reach Daily Activity goal of 10,000 steps. Remember Being Green is a state of mind! 6PM-10PM | QUIET STORM - 5430 PENN AVE. GROW PITTSBURGH BENEFIT DINNER Quiet Storm keeps it green with a gourmet feast showcasing local & regional produce & pantry. A percentage of dinner sales will go to our Penn Avenue neighbor Grow Pittsburgh, whose mission is to demonstrate, teach & promote responsible urban food production. $25 per person. Follow us on twitter.com/qspgh for four-course vegan & vegetarian menu! Reservations recommended, and required for parties of 6 or more. 412-661-9355 6PM-9PM | GARFIELD ARTWORKS - 4931 PENN AVE. *Adult Content* UNDER THE BED AND IN MY HEAD: The art of Lauren Toohey. A collection of sexually charged creatures and figures organically emerging from the feverish imagination, this series of mixed media paintings features bold line work and distinctive graphic styles. Donation requested. Exhibit runs until April 24. 412-361-2262. www.garfieldartworks.com 6PM-8PM | SPACE: COLLECTIVE - 4823 PENN AVE. ROBOTS AND OTHER CREATIONS Jason Bannister is the artist and designer behind Mechanimal, a local design company that converges biology and technology, with art and science. He has worked for museums, sciences centers, and educational institutes bringing science to life through designing and fabricating robots. Starting with sketches, see how works on paper are turned to real live robots. For more details about the artist and his work: www.cspacecollective.com 6PM-11PM | PITTSBURGH GLASS CENTER - 5472 PENN AVE. HOT JAM+ECO-TECH FASHION SHOW+SPECIAL MUSICAL PERFORMANCES! PGC supports GA/GI Fest! Featuring heat defying acts of art, plus “From The Earth To The Fire and Back” a local glass exhibition. Performances by: Life In Balance, electro-acoustic sounds from 5-7pm; A bagpipe performance by The Rusty Nails from 7-7:30pm; Indy and Popular music DJ’d by iParty Productions from 7:30-9pm. Along with live performances, photographer Duane Reider of Engine 25 will be serving samples from his wine collection. Finally, to capstone the evening “Pedal to the Metal” a Fashion Show with Jonano and their eco-tech friends will begin at 9pm followed by a live performance by Cello Fury (formerly Cellofourte). For more information visit, www.gagifestival.blogspot.com or call 412-365-2145 ext. 201 6PM-8PM | MOST WANTED FINE ART - 5015 PENN AVE. JOHN LYSAK AND FRIENDS Edinboro University Print Club will be will be showing their images during the GA/GI festival. John is a founding member of MWFA and current curator. John is an international sensation with his stylistic renderings done in a monoprint/monotype format. Bands start at 9pm: Grand Snafu. 412-889-7526 www.youtube.com/mostwantedfineart 6PM-9PM | RETAIL SPACE - 5469 PENN AVE. CLEARANCE SALE! Select from a number of beautiful pieces; many made of recycled glass. Springtime is a great time to get a head start on gifts for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Weddings, and Graduations. Grab bag gift discounts up to $20.00, No reasonable offers refused. 6:30PM | BIKE PITTSBURGH SMOKELESS PARADE THE ROUTE: The "smokeless" parade begins at 6:30 pm and ends at Spak Bros. Pizza, 5107 Penn Avenue, where bike parade participants can join in the GA/GI Festival fun! Interested? Tim Kelly is your Contact: Timito@gmail.com 7PM (doors open 6:30pm) | DANCE ALLOY THEATER - 5530 PENN AVE. ALLOY OPEN: TAP INTO THE POSSIBILITIES Dance Alloy Theater is tappin’ into the possibilities for their April “Unblurred”, the ‘First Friday on Penn’ event run by the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative. Heather Ferri, tap dancing Pittsburgh native, introduces a whole new sound to the shuffle, shuffle ball change rhythm we’ve heard since Bill “Bojangles” Robinson tap danced. Ferri’s “Tap into the Possibilities” will expose people to the idea that tap is not just one sound or story. Her dynamic, 8-section piece tells multiple stories through the sounds of taps, contemporary movement, and spoken words performed by college students from Point Park University. Each story danced through tap has its own vibration, as Ferri explains. Her choreography offers a variety of tap dance styles from Broadway to Hoofing, movement and improvisation, and smooth percussion all to music by metal plated shoes against an array of different surfaces. Heather takes the “All American Big Broadway” style of tappin’ to a whole new time step 7 PM-9PM | EDGE STUDIO GALLEY - 5411 PENN AVE. EXQUISITE CORPS! LIVE GIRLS ONE KNIGHT ONLY! Cunning Stunts: Exquisite Corps is an installation that is as much about presentation as it is about incorporation. There will be a group of eleven people a-dressing the concept of altered ego, (ergo Walter Ego) with permutations of personal reality and fantastical longing. The public will be view these character installations from a center pathway with spaces on both sides each filled with the artifacts and costume of the different personae. 7PM-10PM | INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S ART GALLERY - 5020 PENN AVE. MANDALAS. The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean circle. Come see art forms that are much more than a simple circle shape. 7PM-11PM | AWESOME BOOKS - 5111 PENN AVE. BOOK RELEASE PARTY for Spinning Standing Still by Christiane D. Leach & Eden McNutt! Reading at 7pm by Christiane & a special guest. Plus enjoy this newly decorated bookstore (at the Clay Penn site) with a green theme: recycled reading! Select from thousands of titles in all subjects: Fiction, Biography, Music, Art, Philosophy, Poetry, History, the Sciences and more! 7PM-11PM | THE CLAY PENN - 5111 PENN AVE. MOSAIC WORKSHOP. Help us with the creation of mosaic sculptures beside Awesome Books. Learn how to mosaic 3 dimensional mosaic forms. Fun for the entire family. 7PM-10PM | IMAGEBOX - 4933 PENN AVE. GREEN, GREEN GRASS - a solo show of new photographs by Justin Visnesky. Justin moved back to his native Pennsylvania in February 2009 after living in St. Louis, Missouri for six years. These photographs were made over the past year and are about what it feels like to be home. A limited edition set of 4" x 6" prints will be available during the opening. More of Justin's work can be viewed at http://www.justinvisnesky.com. Blog at http:// www.justinvisneskyphoto.blogspot.com. 7PM-10PM | MODERNFORMATIONS GALLERY AND PERFORMANCE SPACE - 4919 PENN AVE. THE 6TH ANNUAL SPRING SALON: Juried exhibition by South Western Pennsylvania artists and non-artists will be juried by you! Past winners include Ben and Andy Kehoe, Meg Graham, Jairan Sedeghi, Kat Cole, and Jesse Best! This year view local art and artists never seen before + food, drink, and fun. Cast your vote to see who wins their very own solo exhibition at the gallery in December. Our GA/GI Guest: Electric Owl Studios will display “KICK” Kid’s Interactive Creation Kiosk. 412-362-0274.www.modernformations.com 7PM-11PM | PITTSBURGH BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT - 4810 PENN AVE. PAINTING PARTY! Come paint with the Pittsburgh Beautification Project! 9PM-1AM | LAW OF OFFICE OF RICHARD J. WALTERS and ADJACENT DOWNSTAIRS ARTSPACE - 5005 PENN AVE. ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ARGENTINE TANGO MILONGA Come enjoy a healthy dose of classic Argentine music and dancing. We explore new music and dance Argentine Tango to Bajofondo, Gotan Project, Otros Aries and whatever music group arguably fits into the Nuevo/Alternative Argentine Tango lexicon. Classic Argentine Tango in Office and Nuevo dance downstairs. For information: rjwesquire@gmail.comor 412-721-7771 11PM-3AM | WAFFLE SHOP - 124 S. HIGHLAND AVE. OPEN TALK SHOW IS TAPING GA/GI INTERVIEWS! After the festival, enjoy Pittsburgh's only public talk show produced live! Sit back watch your fellow patrons while enjoying a hot plate of specialty waffles or take the stage and share your thoughts on The Geek Art Green Innovators Festival or any topic. Show your GA/GI gear or programs and get $1 off your waffles. Or join us at Conflict Kitchen, our adjacent takeout window serving up Iranian cuisine and current events for April. Unblurred is a monthly event that opens the Penn Avenue Arts District (4800-5500 Penn) for exploration by adults & children. The Penn Avenue Arts Initiative (PAAI) is a joint strategy of Bloomfield- Garfield Corporation & Friendship Development Associates to support artists in the renovation of blighted, formerly vacant buildings & in turn create an artist niche along the Penn Avenue Corridor. Submit Your News to be Included in our Newsletter Unsubscribe from this newsletter, Change Your Email Address and Manage Your Info on Our Site.